(Excerpts ) — “Toshiba isn’t unusual in keeping “ghosts in the boardroom,” as Nicholas Benes, head of the Board Director Training Institute of Japan, describes former executives who stay on the payroll in an advisory role. He estimates that 80% or more of large Japanese companies have such posts. Many top executives in Japan, where CEO pay is lower than in the U.S., consider them an entitlement, to supplement their pensions.